New Releases by Mary Shelley

Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley is a landmark of Romantic-era fiction and an enduring meditation on science, humanity, and transgression. Its influence extends across literature, philosophy, and popular culture to this day. This is the English-language paperback edition of her classic novel, following the original 1818 text. Mary Shelley. Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. First published: Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor and Jones, London 1818. This edition follows the text of the first edition. Vollständige Neuausgabe, 1. Auflage, LIWI Literatur- und Wissenschaftsverlag, Göttingen 2026.

The Last Man chronicles the last days of humanity in the 21st century as it is slowly obliterated by a global pandemic. Radical changes and events across Europe—the king abdicates, turning England into a Republic; war erupts between Greece and Turkey—weaken the fabric of society, allowing an unknown and deadly disease to quickly spread across the world. Political leaders are disorganized; spiritual figures offer little comfort; science yields no answers. Previously distinguished individuals abandon their people in their time of need out of cowardice, while others admirably rise up to the occasion. Yet, none of this matters at all when humanity comes to its end. Mary Shelley wrote this book during the darkest time of her life. Over the years, she had lost her husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley; her close friend, Lord Byron; and her children. Writing the novel became an instrument to process her own hopelessness and isolation—various characters are impressions of her departed loved ones. Contemporary critics were not kind to The Last Man. While Frankenstein was lauded for its depiction of scientific presumption, humanity’s impotence and subsequent extinction were deemed offensive. The book faded into near-obscurity and merely survived until its rediscovery in the 1960s. After two World Wars, several epidemics, and the threat of nuclear annihilation, humanity’s end may not have seemed as absurd any more.

Discover the story of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein with this striking collector’s edition from Union Square & Co.''s Signature Editions series! The classic texts that shaped our culture feature exclusive cover art by distinguished artist Malika Favre. Her bold, graphic style gives each classic literature book a small masterpiece for a jacket. Collect the set or prize this Frankenstein special edition as your showpiece literary classic. For years, Dr. Victor Frankenstein labors to create a new race of intelligent beings. He spends his nights scavenging body parts from graveyards, slaughterhouses, and hospital dissection rooms. By day, he experiments in his secret laboratory, perfecting the creature who, he believes, will worship him as a god. But when he succeeds, Frankenstein is horrified by the ugly brutishness of the patchwork being he has brought to life—and abandons his creation to dramatic ends … Literary history and meaning: Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, was first published in 1818. It is often regarded as the first science fiction novel and a seminal work of Gothic literature. Its importance as a classic literature work lies in its exploration of the human condition and the ethical dilemmas raised by scientific innovation. Frankenstein has had a profound impact on popular culture, inspiring numerous adaptations in literature, film, and other media, and its themes of creation, identity, and alienation continue to resonate with modern audiences. Its relevance today is evident in its exploration of ethical issues surrounding emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and genetic engineering, as well as its enduring commentary on the human quest for knowledge and the pursuit of power at any cost. It is a terrifying story about how monsters—of all kinds—are made.

Frankenstein: or, the Modern Prometheus Frankenstein: or, the Modern Prometheus (1818), is a combination of Gothic horror story and science fiction. The book tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a Swiss student of natural science who creates an artificial man from pieces of corpses and brings his creature to life. About Author : Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, (born August 30, 1797, London, England--died February 1, 1851, London), English Romantic novelist best known as the author of Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus (1818, revised 1831), a text that is part Gothic novel and part philosophical novel; it is also often considered an early example of science fiction. Scroll Up and Dive in, Today!

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (Godwin) (30 August 1797 - 1 February 1851) was an English novelist who wrote the Gothic novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus (1818), which is considered an early example of science fiction. She also edited and promoted the works of her husband, the Romantic poet and philosopher Percy Bysshe Shelley. Her father was the political philosopher William Godwin and her mother was the philosopher and feminist activist Mary Wollstonecraft. Shelley''s mother died less than a month after giving birth to her. She was raised by her father, who provided her with a rich if informal education, encouraging her to adhere to his own anarchist political theories. When she was four, her father married a neighbor, Mary Jane Clairmont, with whom Shelley came to have a troubled relationship. In 1814, Shelley began a romance with one of her father''s political followers, Percy Bysshe Shelley, who was already married. Together with her stepsister, Claire Clairmont, she and Percy left for France and travelled through Europe. Upon their return to England, Shelley was pregnant with Percy''s child. Over the next two years, she and Percy faced ostracism, constant debt and the death of their prematurely born daughter. They married in late 1816, after the suicide of Percy Shelley''s first wife, Harriet. In 1816, the couple and her stepsister famously spent a summer with Lord Byron and John William Polidori near Geneva, Switzerland, where Shelley conceived the idea for her novel Frankenstein. The Shelleys left Britain in 1818 for Italy, where their second and third children died before Shelley gave birth to her last and only surviving child, Percy Florence Shelley. In 1822, her husband drowned when his sailing boat sank during a storm near Viareggio. A year later, Shelley returned to England and from then on devoted herself to the upbringing of her son and a career as a professional author. The last decade of her life was dogged by illness, most likely caused by the brain tumor which killed her at age 53. Until the 1970s, Shelley was known mainly for her efforts to publish her husband''s works and for her novel Frankenstein, which remains widely read and has inspired many theatrical and film adaptations. Recent scholarship has yielded a more comprehensive view of Shelley''s achievements. Scholars have shown increasing interest in her literary output, particularly in her novels, which include the historical novels Valperga (1823) and Perkin Warbeck (1830), the apocalyptic novel The Last Man (1826) and her final two novels, Lodore (1835) and Falkner (1837). Studies of her lesser-known works, such as the travel book Rambles in Germany and Italy (1844) and the biographical articles for Dionysius Lardner''s Cabinet Cyclopaedia (1829-1846), support the growing view that Shelley remained a political radical throughout her life. Shelley''s works often argue that cooperation and sympathy, particularly as practiced by women in the family, were the ways to reform civil society. This view was a direct challenge to the individualistic Romantic ethos promoted by Percy Shelley and the Enlightenment political theories articulated by her father, William Godwin.

Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a novel written by English author Mary Shelley (1797-1851) that tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a hideous sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment. Shelley started writing the story when she was 18, and the first edition was published anonymously in London on 1 January 1818, when she was 20.[2] Her name first appeared on the second edition, published in 1823.

Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a novel written by the British author Mary Shelley. The first edition was published anonymously in London in 1818, and Shelley''s name appeared on the revised third edition, published in 1831. The title of the novel refers to the scientist, Victor Frankenstein, who learns how to create life and creates a being in the likeness of man, but larger than average and more powerful. In modern popular culture, people have tended to refer to the Creature as "Frankenstein" (especially in films since 1931), despite this being the name of the scientist, and the creature being unnamed in the book itself. Frankenstein is a novel infused with elements of the Gothic novel and the Romantic movement. It was also a warning against the "over-reaching" of modern man and the Industrial Revolution, alluded to in the novel''s subtitle, The Modern Prometheus. The story has had an influence across literature and popular culture and spawned a complete genre of horror stories and films. It is arguably considered the first fully-realised science fiction novel and raises many issues still relevant to today''s society.

The best book ever written. A masterpiece. A classics. Illustrated.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (Illustrated Classics) 200 years after it was first published, Mary Shelley''s Frankenstein has stood the test of time as a gothic masterpiece--a classic work of humanity and horror that blurs the line between man and monster... The story of Victor Frankenstein and the monstrous creature he created has held readers spellbound ever since it was published two centuries ago. On the surface, it is a novel of tense and steadily mounting horror; but on a more profound level, it offers searching illumination of the human condition in its portrayal of a scientist who oversteps the bounds of conscience, and of a monster brought to life in an alien world, ever more desperately attempting to escape the torture of his solitude. A novel of hallucinatory intensity, Frankenstein represents one of the most striking flowerings of the Romantic imagination.

The Last Man is a post-apocalyptic science fiction novel by Mary Shelley, which was first published in 1826. The book tells of a future world that has been ravaged by a plague. The novel was harshly reviewed at the time and was virtually unknown - having been eclipsed by Shelley''s more popular works - until a scholarly revival in the 1960s. It contains semi-biographical portraits of Romantic figures in Shelley''s circle, particularly Shelley''s late husband Percy Bysshe Shelley and Lord Byron.

Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is an 1818 novel written by English author Mary Shelley (1797-1851) that tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment. Shelley started writing the story when she was 18, and the first edition was published anonymously in London on 1 January 1818, when she was 20. Her name first appeared in the second edition published in Paris in 1821.Shelley travelled through Europe in 1815 along the river Rhine in Germany stopping in Gernsheim, 17 kilometres (11 mi) away from Frankenstein Castle, where two centuries before, an alchemist engaged in experiments. She then journeyed to the region of Geneva, Switzerland, where much of the story takes place. The topics of galvanism and occult ideas were themes of conversation among her companions, particularly her lover and future husband Percy B. Shelley. In 1816, Mary, Percy and Lord Byron had a competition to see who could write the best horror story. After thinking for days, Shelley dreamt about a scientist who created life and was horrified by what he had made, inspiring the novel. Though Frankenstein is infused with elements of the Gothic novel and the Romantic movement, Brian Aldiss has argued that it should be considered the first true science fiction story. In contrast to previous stories with fantastical elements resembling those of later science fiction, Aldiss states the central character "makes a deliberate decision" and "turns to modern experiments in the laboratory" to achieve fantastic results. It has had a considerable influence in literature and popular culture and spawned a complete genre of horror stories, films and plays.Since the publication of the novel, the name "Frankenstein" has often been used to refer to the monster itself.

Mary Shelley began writing Frankenstein when she was only eighteen. At once a Gothic thriller, a passionate romance, and a cautionary tale about the dangers of science, Frankenstein tells the story of committed science student Victor Frankenstein. Obsessed with discovering the cause of generation and life and bestowing animation upon lifeless matter, Frankenstein assembles a human being from stolen body parts but; upon bringing it to life, he recoils in horror at the creature''s hideousness. Tormented by isolation and loneliness, the once-innocent creature turns to evil and unleashes a campaign of murderous revenge against his creator, Frankenstein.Frankenstein, an instant bestseller and an important ancestor of both the horror and science fiction genres, not only tells a terrifying story, but also raises profound, disturbing questions about the very nature of life and the place of humankind within the cosmos: What does it mean to be human? What responsibilities do we have to each other? How far can we go in tampering with Nature? In our age, filled with news of organ donation genetic engineering, and bio-terrorism, these questions are more relevant than ever.Mary Shelley began writing Frankenstein when she was only eighteen. At once a Gothic thriller, a passionate romance, and a cautionary tale about the dangers of science, Frankenstein tells the story of committed science student Victor Frankenstein. Obsessed with discovering the cause of generation and life and bestowing animation upon lifeless matter, Frankenstein assembles a human being from stolen body parts but; upon bringing it to life, he recoils in horror at the creature''s hideousness. Tormented by isolation and loneliness, the once-innocent creature turns to evil and unleashes a campaign of murderous revenge against his creator, Frankenstein.Frankenstein, an instant bestseller and an important ancestor of both the horror and science fiction genres, not only tells a terrifying story, but also raises profound, disturbing questions about the very nature of life and the place of humankind within the cosmos: What does it mean to be human? What responsibilities do we have to each other? How far can we go in tampering with Nature? In our age, filled with news of organ donation genetic engineering, and bio-terrorism, these questions are more relevant than ever.

Mary Shelley''s Frankenstein has endured in the popular imagination for two hundred years. Begun as a ghost story by an intellectually and socially precocious eighteen-year-old author during a cold and rainy summer on the shores of Lake Geneva, the dramatic tale of Victor Frankenstein and his stitched-together creature can be read as the ultimate parable of scientific hubris

Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a novel written by English author Mary Shelley (1797-1851) that tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a hideous sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment. Shelley started writing the story when she was 18, and the first edition was published anonymously in London on 1 January 1818, when she was 20. Her name first appeared in the second edition published in Paris in 1821.

Mary Shelley began writing Frankenstein when she was only eighteen. At once a Gothic thriller, a passionate romance, and a cautionary tale about the dangers of science, Frankenstein tells the story of committed science student Victor Frankenstein. Obsessed with discovering the cause of generation and life and bestowing animation upon lifeless matter, Frankenstein assembles a human being from stolen body parts but; upon bringing it to life, he recoils in horror at the creature''s hideousness. Tormented by isolation and loneliness, the once-innocent creature turns to evil and unleashes a campaign of murderous revenge against his creator, Frankenstein.Frankenstein, an instant bestseller and an important ancestor of both the horror and science fiction genres, not only tells a terrifying story, but also raises profound, disturbing questions about the very nature of life and the place of humankind within the cosmos: What does it mean to be human? What responsibilities do we have to each other? How far can we go in tampering with Nature? In our age, filled with news of organ donation genetic engineering, and bio-terrorism, these questions are more relevant than ever.

Mary Shelley began writing Frankenstein when she was only eighteen. At once a Gothic thriller, a passionate romance, and a cautionary tale about the dangers of science, Frankenstein tells the story of committed science student Victor Frankenstein. Obsessed with discovering the cause of generation and life and bestowing animation upon lifeless matter, Frankenstein assembles a human being from stolen body parts but; upon bringing it to life, he recoils in horror at the creature''s hideousness. Tormented by isolation and loneliness, the once-innocent creature turns to evil and unleashes a campaign of murderous revenge against his creator, Frankenstein.Frankenstein, an instant bestseller and an important ancestor of both the horror and science fiction genres, not only tells a terrifying story, but also raises profound, disturbing questions about the very nature of life and the place of humankind within the cosmos: What does it mean to be human? What responsibilities do we have to each other? How far can we go in tampering with Nature? In our age, filled with news of organ donation genetic engineering, and bio-terrorism, these questions are more relevant than ever.

Frankenstein Mary Shelley began writing Frankenstein when she was only eighteen. At once a Gothic thriller, a passionate romance, and a cautionary tale about the dangers of science, Frankenstein tells the story of committed science student Victor Frankenstein. Obsessed with discovering the cause of generation and life and bestowing animation upon lifeless matter, Frankenstein assembles a human being from stolen body parts but; upon bringing it to life, he recoils in horror at the creature''s hideousness. Tormented by isolation and loneliness, the once-innocent creature turns to evil and unleashes a campaign of murderous revenge against his creator, Frankenstein.Frankenstein, an instant bestseller and an important ancestor of both the horror and science fiction genres, not only tells a terrifying story, but also raises profound, disturbing questions about the very nature of life and the place of humankind within the cosmos: What does it mean to be human? What responsibilities do we have to each other? How far can we go in tampering with Nature? In our age, filled with news of organ donation genetic engineering, and bio-terrorism, these questions are more relevant than ever.

Mary Shelley began writing Frankenstein when she was only eighteen. At once a Gothic thriller, a passionate romance, and a cautionary tale about the dangers of science, Frankenstein tells the story of committed science student Victor Frankenstein. Obsessed with discovering the cause of generation and life and bestowing animation upon lifeless matter, Frankenstein assembles a human being from stolen body parts but; upon bringing it to life, he recoils in horror at the creature''s hideousness. Tormented by isolation and loneliness, the once-innocent creature turns to evil and unleashes a campaign of murderous revenge against his creator, Frankenstein.Frankenstein, an instant bestseller and an important ancestor of both the horror and science fiction genres, not only tells a terrifying story, but also raises profound, disturbing questions about the very nature of life and the place of humankind within the cosmos: What does it mean to be human? What responsibilities do we have to each other? How far can we go in tampering with Nature? In our age, filled with news of organ donation genetic engineering, and bio-terrorism, these questions are more relevant than ever.

Robert Walton, an English adventurer, undertakes an expedition to the North Pole. While on this expedition (which has been a lifelong dream of his), Walton corresponds with his sister by letter. Amid the ice floes, Walton and his crew find an extremely weary man traveling by dogsled. The man is near death, and they determine to take him aboard. Once the mysterious traveler has somewhat recovered from his weakness, Robert Walton begins to talk to him. The two strike up a friendship (Walton is very lonely and has long desired a close companion). The man is desolate, and for a long while will not talk about why he is traversing the Arctic alone. After becoming more comfortable with Walton, he decides to tell him his long-concealed story.The speaker is Victor Frankenstein, for whom the book is named. He will be the narrator for the bulk of the novel. Born into a wealthy Swiss family, Victor enjoyed an idyllic, peaceful childhood. His parents were kind, marvelous people; they are presented as shining examples of the goodness of the human spirit. His father, Alphonse, fell in love with his wife, Caroline, when her father, a dear friend of his, passed away. Alphonse took the young orphan under his care, and as time passed they fell in love. He provides for his wife in grand style. Out of gratitude for her own good fortune, Caroline is extremely altruistic. She frequently visits the poor who live in her part of the Italian countryside. One day she chances upon the home of a family who has a beautiful foster daughter. Her name is Elizabeth Lavenza. Though they are kind, the poverty of Elizabeth''s foster parents makes caring for her a financial burden. Caroline falls in love with the lovely girl on sight, and adopts her into the Frankenstein family. She is close in age to Victor, and becomes the central, most beloved part of his childhood. Elizabeth is Victor''s most cherished companion. Their parents encourage the children to be close in every imaginable way  as cousins, as brother and sister, and, in the future, as husband and wife.

Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus ( illustrated ) book provides a reader with illustrations to interact with Mary Wollstonecraft (Godwin) Shelley fiction novel.The reader can appreciate the novel with striking illustrations. Cover illustration was inspired by artists for added interest the reader to know the end of the story.Cover illustration produced by illustration 8, "The monster swears revenge on all people"There are a few illustrations have been made to make this a really interesting novel.The editor also believe that illustrations can help reader develop critical thinking skills, as their brains take in the illustrations and the text and make connections between the two.When reader read books with illustrations, they are able to envision the story in a way that helps them relate to the characters.Illustrations also enable the reader to explore the world within their imagination and make connections between what they have just read and a visual image. When a reader connects what they have read with pictures, it can make the book more real to them.Illustrations are powerful ways of helping this novel come alive.NOTE: - The new structure of chapter headings in the novel. They are added here by the editor to assist the reader.- This Book follows the original text.- Illustrate produced using computer designAfter leaving Frankenstein''s laboratory, the monster went to the village where he was insulted and attacked by the frightened villagers. He eventually went to the country and found refuge in a hovel next to small house inhabited by a old, blind man and his two children. By observing the family and by reading their books, the monster learnt how to speak and read. He felt compassion for the family, who had to struggle to get by, and anonymously did chores for them. Longing for some kindness and protection, he decided to meet his hosts. He got into a pleasant conversation with the blind man but his children returned unexpectedly. Horrified by his appearance, they beat him and he fled the house. Completely disillusioned, the monster was filled with rage and decided to find his creator. By chance he met Frankenstein''s younger brother in the forest. As soon as he discovered that the boy "belongs to the enemy" he choked him. He also placed a portrait in the lap of a sleeping young girl, Justine, thereby incriminating her with his crime.The dæmon''s only request from Frankenstein was that he should create another being: a female to accompany him. If Frankenstein complied, he and his bride would stay away from other people and keep to themselves in the wild. Frankenstein saw some justice in the monster''s arguments and also felt that he had a duty towards his fellow-man, so he agreed to the dæmon''s request. Victor left for England to finish his work accompanied by his friend Clerval, promising to marry Elizabeth on his return. When the work on his second creation was advanced, he started to question his promise. He was afraid that they might hate each other, or that they might produce a whole race of these creatures. When the monster visited to check on the progress, Frankenstein destroyed his work. The monster swore revenge and promised to be with him on his wedding night. The following day a body was found and Frankenstein was accused of murder. He was taken to the body, which he identified as Henry Clerval. He was eventually cleared of all charges and returned to Geneva in a very bad condition. Frankenstein married Elizabeth after promising her to tell her his horrifying secret the following day. Remembering the monster''s threat, Frankenstein was convinced that he would be killed that night. The monster, however, killed Elizabeth instead. Frankenstein lost another family member as his father died after hearing the news about Elizabeth''s death. Frankenstein had now lost every sensation except for revenge.

Mary Shelley was born on August 30, 1797, in London, England. She married poet Percy Bysshe Shelley in 1816. Mary and Percy Shelley traveled about Europe for a time. They struggled financially and faced the loss of their first child in 1815. Mary delivered a baby girl who only lived for a few days. The following summer, the Shelleys were in Switzerland with Jane Clairmont, Lord Byron and John Polidori. The group entertained themselves one rainy day by reading a book of ghost stories. Lord Byron suggested that they all should try their hand at writing their own horror story. It was at this time that Mary Shelley began work on what would become her most famous novel, Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus.Later that year, Mary suffered the loss of her half-sister Fanny who committed suicide. Another suicide, this time by Percy''s wife, occurred a short time later. Mary and Percy Shelley were finally able to wed in December 1816. She published a travelogue of their escape to Europe, History of a Six Weeks'' Tour (1817), while continuing to work on her soon-to-famous monster tale. In 1818, Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus debuted as a new novel from an anonymous author. Many thought that Percy Bysshe Shelley had written it since he penned its introduction. The book proved to be a huge success. That same year, the Shelleys moved to Italy.While Mary seemed devoted to her husband, she did not have the easiest marriage. Their union was riddled with adultery and heartache, including the death of two more of their children. Born in 1819, their son, Percy Florence, was the only child to live to adulthood. Mary''s life was rocked by another tragedy in 1822 when her husband drowned. He had been out sailing with a friend in the Gulf of Spezia.She wrote several other books, including Valperga (1823), The Last Man (1826), the autobiographical Lodore (1835) and the posthumously published Mathilde. Shelley died of brain cancer on February 1, 1851, in London, England.Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus was first published in London, England in 1818. It contains elements of the Gothic novel and the Romantic movement. It was also a warning against the "over-reaching" of modern man and the Industrial Revolution. The story has had an influence across literature and popular culture and spawned a complete genre of horror stories and films. It is often considered the first science fiction novel.

FRANKENSTEIN; OR, THE MODERN PROMETHEUS Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a novel written by the English author Mary Shelley (1797-1851) that tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a grotesque creature but thrives in an unorthodox scientific experiment. Shelley began writing the story when she was 18, and the first edition of the novel was published anonymously in London on January 1, 1818, when she was 20 years old. Her name first appeared in France in 1823.Shelley traveled across Europe in 1814, traveling along the Rhine in Germany with a stop at Gernsheim which is 17 km from the Frankenstein Castle, where, two centuries ago, an alchemist was engaged in experiments. Later, she traveled to the Geneva area (Switzerland) - where much of the story takes place - and the theme of galvanism and other similar occult ideas were topics of conversation among her companions, especially she in love and future husband, Percy Shelley. Mary, Percy, Lord Byron and John Polidori have decided to hold a contest to see who could write the best horror story. After thinking for days, Shelley dreamed of a scientist who created life and was horrified by what he had done; his dream evolved later in the story of the novel.Frankenstein is imbued with elements of the Gothic novel and the Romantic movement. At the same time, it is an early example of science fiction. Brian Aldiss argued that it should be considered the first true science fiction story because, unlike previous stories with fantastic elements resembling those of science fiction, the central character "takes a deliberate decision" and " turns to modern experiences "to get fantastic results. He has had a considerable influence in literature and popular culture and has engendered a complete genre of horror stories, movies and games.Since the publication of the novel, the name "Frankenstein" has often been used to refer to the monster itself. This usage is sometimes considered wrong, but use commentators consider it to be well-established and acceptable. In the novel, the monster is identified by words such as "creature", "monster", "demon", "miserable", "abortion" and "he". Speaking to Victor Frankenstein, the wretch refers to himself as "the Adam of your labors", and elsewhere as someone who "would have been your Adam", but is rather "your fallen angel" (who binds himself to Lucifer in Paradise Lost, which the monster reads, and refers to the "modern" Prometheus of the subtitle of the book).MARY SHELLEYMary Shelley, born Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin on August 30, 1797 in Somers Town, a suburb of London (today in the district of Camden), and died February 1, 1851 in Belgravia (London), is an English writer, novelist novelist, playwright, essayist, biographer and travel writer. She is best known for her novel Frankenstein or the modern Prometheus.Daughter of the feminist philosopher Mary Wollstonecraft and political writer William Godwin, she loses her mother when she is only eleven days old. His father remarries four years later. He offers his daughter a rich education and encourages him to adhere to his liberal political theories. In 1814, Mary Godwin began an affair with a married man, a supporter of his father, Percy Bysshe Shelley. Accompanied by Claire Clairmont, the daughter of Mary''s mother-in-law, the couple travels across Europe. Over the next two years, Mary and Percy face permanent debt and the death of their daughter. They get married in 1816, after the suicide of Percy''s first wife.In 1816, during a stay near Geneva, Mary (now Mary Shelley) wrote her first novel, Frankenstein. In 1818, the Shelley left the United Kingdom for Italy, where their second and third children died, before Mary Shelley gave birth to her son, Percy Florence Shelley, who alone survived. In 1822, her husband drowned in the Gulf of Spezia, during a storm.

Support Public Domain: like and share http://facebook.com/BookLiberationFrontFew creatures of horror have seized readers'' imaginations and held them for so long as the anguished monster of Mary Shelley''s Frankenstein. The story of Victor Frankenstein''s terrible creation and the havoc it caused has enthralled generations of readers and inspired countless writers of horror and suspense. Considering the novel''s enduring success, it is remarkable that it began merely as a whim of Lord Byron''s."We will each write a story," Byron announced to his next-door neighbors, Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin and her lover Percy Bysshe Shelley. The friends were summering on the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland in 1816, Shelley still unknown as a poet and Byron writing the third canto of Childe Harold. When continued rains kept them confined indoors, all agreed to Byron''s proposal.The illustrious poets failed to complete their ghost stories, but Mary Shelley rose supremely to the challenge. With Frankenstein, she succeeded admirably in the task she set for herself: to create a story that, in her own words, "would speak to the mysterious fears of our nature and awaken thrilling horror - one to make the reader dread to look round, to curdle the blood, and quicken the beatings of the heart."

D.L. Macdonald and Kathleen Scherf’s edition of Frankenstein has been widely acclaimed as an outstanding edition of the novel—for the general reader and the student as much as for the scholar. The editors use as their copy-text the original 1818 version, and detail in an appendix all of Shelley’s later revisions. They also include a range of contemporary documents that shed light on the historical context from which this unique masterpiece emerged. New to this edition is a discussion of Percy Shelley’s role in contributing to the first draft of the novel. Recent scholarship has provoked considerable interest in the degree to which Percy Shelley contributed to Mary Shelley’s original text, and this edition’s updated introduction discusses this scholarship. A new appendix also includes Lord Byron’s “A Fragment” and John William Polidori’s The Vampyre, works that are engaging in their own right and that also add further insights into the literary context of Frankenstein.

Mary Shelley''s Frankenstein (1818) explores the consequences of our lust for power. But it is also the story of how the different and the deviant are excluded from human society. Frankenstein''s ''''Creature'''' is arguably the least monstrous character in this story of murder, revenge, and isolation.

Originally published in 1823, Valperga is probably Mary Shelley’s most neglected novel. Set in 14th-century Italy, it represents a merging of historical romance and the literature of sentiment. Incorporating intriguing feminist elements, this absorbing novel shows Shelley as a complex and intellectually astute thinker.

Valperga, published in 1823 and reprinted here for the first time, was Mary Shelley''s second novel, the successor to Frankenstein. Set in fourteenth-century Tuscany, the novel shares certain structural features with the popular fictions of Sir Walter Scott, most notably the novel Ivanhoe with its contrasting heroines, but Mary Shelley''s work pointedly challenges Scott''s model, inverting his masculinist and conservative outlook, foregrounding the lives of its principal women, Euthanasia dei Adimari and Beatrice of Ferrara, and attaching to the figure of Castruccio Castracani, Prince of Lucca, a retrograde authoritarianism and sterile lust for power. Valperga, steeped in Mary Shelley''s command of local Italian history and culture, offers the vivid pleasures of accomplished historical fiction, while at the same time representing in the clash between Castruccio and Euthanasia a struggle between autocracy and liberal democracy that speaks directly to the contemporary political tensions of post-Napoleonic Europe. Timed for Mary Shelley''s bicentennial and superbly introduced by Stuart Curran, this exciting new edition makes available a bold yet little-known work by one of the finest minds in English letters.

Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is an 1818 novel written by English author Mary Shelley (1797-1851) that tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a hideous sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment. Shelley started writing the story when she was 18, and the first edition was published anonymously in London on 1 January 1818, when she was 20.[2] Her name first appeared in the second edition published in Paris in 1821. Shelley travelled through Europe in 1815 along the river Rhine in Germany stopping in Gernsheim, 17 kilometres (11 mi) away from Frankenstein Castle, where two centuries before, an alchemist engaged in experiments.She then journeyed to the region of Geneva, Switzerland, where much of the story takes place. The topic of galvanism and occult ideas were themes of conversation among her companions, particularly her lover and future husband Percy B. Shelley. Mary, Percy and Lord Byron had a competition to see who could write the best horror story. After thinking for days, Shelley dreamt about a scientist who created life and was horrified by what he had made, inspiring the novel. Here is the complete text of the novel with the followings annotations: * Historical context Shelley exposes the reality that Frankenstein isn''t simply an easy tale of horror, but a narrative of social issues during the period of 19th century - the period of progress, knowledge growth, and personal awareness. *literary analysis In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley makes use of figurative language in the forms of personification, symbolism, metaphor and simile. Along with the Gothic elements, Frankenstein also introduces the science fiction genre, and a lot of critics have cited it as among the very first examples of the genre. * Quotes: "Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change." - Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (Frankenstein) "Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful." - Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (Frankenstein) *Biographical Information: Fast Facts: Mary Shelley Full Name: Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (née Godwin) Known For: Prolific 19th-century writer whose novel ''Frankenstein'' pioneered the science fiction genre Born: August 30, 1797 in Somers Town, London, England Parents: Mary Wollstonecraft, William Godwin Died: February 1, 1851, Chester Square, London, England Selected Works: History of a Six Weeks'' Tour (1817), Frankenstein (1818), Posthumous Poems of Percy Bysshe Shelley (1824), The Last Man (1826), Lives of the Most Eminent Literary and Scientific Men (1835-39) Spouse: Percy Bysshe Shelley Children: William Shelley, Clara Everina Shelley, Percy Florence Shelley Notable Quote: "Invention, it must be humbly admitted, does not consist in creating out of void, but out of chaos." *The Top Book''s Of Mary Shelley: 8 ) Proserpine. 7 ) Mathilda. 6 ) Falkner. A Novel. 5 ) The Last Man. 3 ) Lodore. 3 ) Maurice; or, The Fisher''s Cot. 2 ) Valperga: Or, the Life and Adventures of Castruccio, Prince of Lucca. 1 ) Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus